Farm Census

Anderson County, South Carolina

Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture

1,552 farms174,494 acres in farms$84.4 million in farm sales

No other county in South Carolina with a published figure has more farms, hay and haylage, cattle and calves or beef cows than Anderson County.

Its largest product group with a published figure, poultry and eggs, makes up 62.0% of farm sales, against 56.6% across South Carolina.

Poultry and eggs: 62.0%Poultry and eggs62.0%Cattle and calves: 14.1%Cattle and calves14.1%Hay and other crops: 6.9%6.9%Grains and oilseeds: 6.5%6.5%Horses and mules: 2.9%2.9%Fruit and nuts: 2.4%2.4%Vegetables and melons: 2.2%2.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.0%2.0%Sheep and goats: 0.5%Other animals: 0.3%Poultry and eggs: 62.0%Poultry and eggs62.0%Cattle and calves: 14.1%14.1%Hay and other crops: 6.9%6.9%Grains and oilseeds: 6.5%6.5%Horses and mules: 2.9%2.9%Fruit and nuts: 2.4%2.4%Vegetables and melons: 2.2%2.2%Nursery and greenhouse: 2.0%2.0%Sheep and goats: 0.5%Other animals: 0.3%
Farm sales by product group, 2022, sized by value. Withheld to protect individual farms: milk and hogs and pigs.
Sales by product group
Product groupSalesRank in state
Poultry and eggs$52.3 million16th of 41
Cattle and calves$11.9 million1st of 35
Hay and other crops$5.8 million7th of 43
Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas$5.5 million20th of 38
Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys$2.5 million3rd of 37
Fruit, tree nuts and berries$2.0 million10th of 27
Vegetables, melons and potatoes$1.9 million15th of 34
Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops$1.7 million22nd of 34
Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk$420,0001st of 31
Other animals and animal products$257,0004th of 28

What the fields held

Anderson County harvested 44,896 acres of cropland in 2022, 12th of 46 counties in South Carolina. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 75% of that, soybeans 13%.

CropAcresShare of US
Hay and haylage33,8900.06%
Soybeans6,033under 0.1%
Wheat2,591under 0.1%
Corn for grain2,231under 0.1%
Vegetables342under 0.1%
of which potatoes7under 0.1%
Orchard land251under 0.1%
of which grapes35under 0.1%
of which apples10under 0.1%
of which pecans68under 0.1%
Berries129under 0.1%

Withheld to protect individual farms: grain sorghum, barley and oats.

How much of the county is farmland

Share of the county land in farms38.1%

Anderson County ranks eighth of 46 counties in South Carolina on this measure.

  • 56,252 acres of cropland, 32% of farmland
  • 78,107 acres of pastureland, 45% of farmland
  • 45,822 acres of woodland, 26% of farmland
  • 3,212 acres irrigated

Farm sizes

The typical farm in Anderson County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 44 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 112 acres, 39th-largest of 46 in South Carolina. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 45.2% of farms. Farms of 1,000 acres or more are 1.7% of the total.

1–98%10–4945%50–17932%180–49910%500–9993%1,000–1,9992%2,000+0%
Anderson County US · farms by size

Barns, pens and pastures

AnimalsHeadShare of US
Goats2,9170.12%
Broilers sold in 20227,690,9720.08%
Horses and ponies1,9240.08%
Beef cows17,4930.06%
Cattle and calves32,033under 0.1%
Sheep and lambs1,689under 0.1%
Laying hens51,823under 0.1%
Hogs and pigs545under 0.1%
Milk cows62under 0.1%
Turkeys230under 0.1%

Who farms here

Decisions on Anderson County's 1,552 farms are made by 2,554 producers. Their average age is 58.1, 0.8 years below the South Carolina average. Women are 36.4% of them.

Under 3511%35–4410%45–5417%55–6422%65–7423%75+17%
Anderson County US · producers by age

Five years earlier

Measure2017Change to 2022
Farms1,742−10.9%
Land in farms, acres183,718−5.0%
Average farm size, acres105+6.7%
Farm products sold (current dollars)$75.2 million+12.3%
Goats, head4,077−28.5%
Broilers sold, head11,102,613−30.7%
Horses and ponies, head3,060−37.1%
Hay and haylage, acres37,860−10.5%

Nearest rivals

Counties with a similar sales mix

Anderson County accounts for 1.9% of farm sales in South Carolina and 6.9% of the farms in South Carolina. Rank South Carolina counties for goats.

Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.